kumu >>> whitesaddle goatfish >>> (parupeneus porphyreus)
one of the most prized fish among spearfishermen and one of the most expensive fish at the fishmarket in hawaii because of its taste...it feeds on small crabs, shrimps and other invertebrates...during the day, they stay close to cover under ledges and in sandy areas...

the story... july 03' marked the first dive trip with just "the boys" to molokai... we were treated to nice weather, and good dive grounds with lots of game... uncle pastor and pauly were our tour guides, taking us to their "backyard" dive spots... on our first day of diving, i was surprised to see how abundant and tame the fish were... i was even able to find and pet a few lobsters during the day!!! (lobster season was closed so i couldn't take any)... as i approached a deeper part of the reef with a lot of cracks in it, i noticed a white spot swimming beneath me... out of the corner of my eye, i saw the kumu swim under a rock ledge... slowly i descended about 25 feet and peeked under the ledge... to my surprise, there were several nice kumus swimming in circles... just what i had been looking for, it was as if i had found a little pot of gold!!! i lined up on the largest and fired... a "stone" shot!!!